World Trade Center

Oliver Stone directs a powerful film depicting the events of September 11 in the true to life drama, World Trade Center.  It’s a routine morning when port authority policeman Sgt. John McLoughlin (Nicolas Cage) leaves his wife Donna (Maria Bello) in bed and looks in on his four sleeping kids before he drives to Port Authority Headquarters in New York.  Rookie cop Will Jimeno (Michael Pena) hugs his pregnant wife Allison (Maggie Gyllenhaal) goodbye and also heads to work.  While on duty that morning, they receive a call that one of the twin towers in the World Trade Center was hit by a small single-engine plane.  John and Will, along with five other Port Authority cops, run into the buildings to rescue people trapped on the top floors.  When the tower begins to crumble on top of them the two are isolated and trapped while waiting to be rescued.  While their families wait at home for news - any news - the two try to remain conscious by talking about their past and their families.  Although all of the performances by the cast are solid, the success of the film falls on the shoulders of Oliver Stone.  Some of his directing is imaginative while other times he plays it safe.  To his credit he makes sure all of the facts are straight but for the sake of keeping it interesting there are slow motion shots and flashbacks giving it a Hollywood feel.  It’s an emotional film with some of the sympathy scenes trying to pull a little too hard on the heartstrings.  During those sentimental parts I did hear some sniffling coming from some of the people in the theater.   (I cried a little myself when I ran out of popcorn before the end of the movie.)  This is a film about hope and survival and if your comfortable with the subject matter I recommend you see it.   I’m giving it a B+ rating.

This movie has been given a PG-13 rating by the MPAA

Although I am blind, I can appreciate a good movie as well as sighted individuals.
I rely more on a good story line than special effects.